- Date
- August 25, 1989, 15:59 local (19:59 UTC)
- Place
- Barranquitas, PR
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6573RBeech C23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890825031709A
- Case key
- 32308
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Improper in-flight planning/decision by the pilot and his failure to maintain adequate flying speed, which resulted in a stall and subsequent impact with the terrain. Contributing factors were: operation of the aircraft by the pilot with excessive gross weight, his lack of experience in this make and model of aircraft and the terrain conditions.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt (fm the netherlands) was checked out in the acft by an instructor plt (CFI). After a 40 min check-out flt, the plt & 3 pax took off on a local flt. Subsequently, the acft crashed in a ravine/valley area (oriented in a north-south direction on mountainous/hilly terrain). Impact occurred on the eastern slope of the valley at an elev of aprx 1100 ft. drg impact, the eng was buried in dirt & the acft began burning. An exam of the prop revealed chordwise scratches on both blades as well as s-curling. No preimpact part failure/malfunction was found. Witnesses rprtd seeing a single eng acft flying low in the ravines (valleys). Shortly thereafter, they heard the acft crash, then they saw smoke/fire from the acdnt site. The acft was estimated to be loaded about 48 lbs over its max wt limit.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6573R
- Reported as
- Beech C23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M-1595
- Airframe hours
- 1,915
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4J, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Looss Aviation Center
- Registered owner
- Matthias, Looss
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 19, 1989 · 66 hours before
- Departed
- SIG · San Juan, PR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Certificates
- Foreign, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Invalid Medical for flight
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 250 total · 5 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SJU, 37 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.